Photography by Mike Valore

Tag Archives: Florence

Basically every meal we had in Italy was fantastic. Tripadvisor and other review sites really make it quite simple to find quality. Given that, there were of course some standouts. Here are the top dining experiences we had across Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice and the Cinque Terre. Admittedly not my best photography, but it is hard to care about taking photos when presented with food like this.

1. Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori – Florence

No Pizza, no Bistecca, no ice. This sign is posted right out front, this is not a pizza joint, not a Florentine steak house, and they do not have soft drinks. There are about five tables and the place is run by a small family. Reservations are required or you basically have no hope. The location is also very convenient as it is right next to the Medici palace. Simple, very reasonably priced and fantastic.

Osso Bucco

Zucchine Blossom Pasta

Cinghiale (Wild Boar) Pappardelle

2. Antica Ristorro di Cambi – Florence

Bistecca Florentine. This steak alone pushed me from normally ordering steaks prepared Medium to now exclusively ordering Medium Rare. This was conveniently located for us, there may be better Bistecca to be found, but cheap wine and a delicious steak is still a great experience. House wine comes by the jug.

Bistecca Florentine

3. Pizzeria da Michele – Naples

Made famous in the novel and movie Eat, Pray, Love (at least according to my wife) this place is on the map. Deservedly so. Gigantic pizza but so good you can easily eat a whole one yourself. Sauce, Mozzarella and a little basil is all any real pizza needs.

Real Pizza

4. Il Gabriello – Rome

Pasta cooked to perfection. More al dente than I’d ever had before. I don’t think I’ve had pasta prepared this well since.

Spaghetti Pomodoro

Cozze (Mussels)

5. Ristorante Da Gigino – Sorrento

Wasn’t sure what to expect here, suspected it might be a bit of a tourist trap however the quality of the food was excellent. Stopped here for lunch while strolling the streets of Sorrento. The pasta was prepared perfectly and the seafood was fresh. More simply prepared dishes executed perfectly.

Caprese Salad

Gamberi (prawns) e Vongole (clams)

Cozze (Mussels) e Vongole (Clams)

6. Vulnetia – Vernazza

The Cinque Terre region is famous for Pesto and seafood, specifically anchovies. While the two dishes pictured below can be found just about at any restaurant in the area, Vulnetia does them well.

Almost every major Italian artist and architect is represented here. You could write the entire history of the Renaissance by spending a few weeks wandering around here. The Accademia houses Michelangelo’s David (You can see the fake one placed at the original location outside the Medici palace in the last photo in this post). The Uffizi houses paintings from all of the masters. Brunelleschi’s basilica dome or Duomo, is perhaps the most famous dome in the world. Hell, you can even see Galileo’s finger in a jar here. Leather, jewelry, and fashion in general are big but the prices are high. Check out the prices for gold jewelry in the shops on the Ponte Vecchio. I couldn’t afford anything even if the prices were Yen instead of Euros. In my opinion, you’re better off spending your hard earned money on wine and food.

Florence had our most memorable dining experiences in Italy. Vini e Vecchi Sapori was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had, and likely ever will have. Florence is situated on the edge of the Chianti wine region in Italy. Not the cheap Chianti you can buy for a few bucks at the local liquor store. This wine is a deep red, dry and the flavors are powerful. Goes perfect with the local specialties such as Bistecca alla Florentina. Bistecca is aged steak cut thick and served rare, putting most any other steak to shame. Fantastic gelato is a given. Discussion on Italian food and photos are for a later post, but the quality here cannot be ignored.

While these works of art/architecture and the amazing food culture draws tourists, I found it to be less crowded than Rome. The streets in the main historical areas seemed less overrun by speeding Vespa’s and what are comically tiny cars (at least by American standards). The pace was more of what I had imagined Italy to be. Then again maybe we were just starting to learn how to enjoy this wonderful country.